


The Heart of a Song

by byunthebunny



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Coffee Shops, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, Romance, Sirens, Strangers to Lovers, siren au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27270103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byunthebunny/pseuds/byunthebunny
Summary: It is hard to believe in love when one simple melody from your lips can make any men yours. For that reason, Baekhyun would rather spend his time mocking other people’s love than searching for his own.And then he finds a man who is immune to his song.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 26
Kudos: 263
Collections: EXO MONSTERFEST 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #: O33 from exomonsterfest 2020
> 
> I want to thank the prompter for this awesome prompt and the mods for being patient with me! Finally, I thank everyone who's giving this a shot!
> 
> My idea was to make this very light-hearted and somewhat simple to read. I hope you guys enjoy it!

People say that a love professed near the old lighthouse is meant to last forever. It was a rumor started by the locals to trick tourists into thinking their small town by the sea is more exciting than it really is. Somehow, it worked. The town is charming and all, but the lighthouse is well-cared and beautiful enough to make couples flock like birds, ready to make romantic memories by the shore.

Today is no different. Hand-in-hand, a daring couple ventures beyond the railings separating visitors from the deep blue sea instead of going to the top of the lighthouse. They jump from rock to rock, going the furthest from the shore they can without swimming. From the right angle, it looks like they're walking on the sea. It's the perfect spot for the perfect date. The Sun shines brightly, and the gentle tide creates a mood well-suited for lovers. With every wave that hits the rocks comes the melodic sound of the sea, urging the man to do what he knows in his heart he has to.

Sadly for both of them, a bitter merman hiding just beneath the surface is listening to their every word.

"You're probably wondering why I invited you here today..." the man trails off, hand holding the black velvety box in his pocket for courage.

_ Ugh, not this shit again. _

"It's strange... I've been here a thousand times, but I never noticed how beautiful the sunset is," the girl bites her mouth, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear and looking at the horizon as if in deep thought.

_ I've never seen this woman in my life. _

"Me neither, and I think I know why," the man turns to her, velvety box in hand. She gasps softly, giving him the confidence boost he so desperately needed. "Darling, there's no other woman in this world who can make me happy, and I was hoping you felt the same. Will you marry-"

_ Enough! _

The siren raises his hands and, with them, the tide. Without reason or warning, a wave washes over the couple, drenching the would-be-fiancés. They fall on the rocks, coughing and yelling pitifully.

"The ring, where is the ring?!"

"R-ring?" The woman asks, bringing a hand to her scratched knee. It stings with the salty water.

"Don't just stand there, it cost me a fortune!" the man screams back, and the woman helplessly crawls next to him, looking for a ring she hasn't even seen yet. Not far from them, the merman watches with a mischievous grin, only his eyes above water.

_There, all better_. Baekhyun thinks to himself, then notices the black box floating near him. Shamelessly, he opens it to analyze the shiny rock inside. _Oh, please, it isn't even big._ _That guy is making a ruckus about nothing._ The siren gives the desperate couple one last look. While the woman cries silently, hands searching desperately, the man bosses her around. It was supposed to be a small prank but Baekhyun ended up showing her boyfriend's true colors. If anything, she should be thankful.

Satisfied with himself, the siren puts the ring on his finger and disappears into the deep blue sea. After all, he deserves a reward for helping her dodge a terrible wedding.

♩ ♪ ♫

It's a given that humans and mermaids never got along. They belong to entirely different elements, different worlds. Humans have claimed dry land to themselves, while sirens have created realms under the ocean, hidden from the upside world by a handful of spells. For a siren, going to the surface isn't exactly forbidden, but interacting with humans is extremely frowned upon. So much so that sirens can get exiled and forced to live above forever if they get too attached to one.

Sadly, that is exactly what happened with Baekhyun. After he fell for a human man, his people turned their backs on him and condemned him to a life on dry land. It didn't seem that bad at first. Sure he missed his friends and family, but at least he got to be with the one he loved. What they had was special, something that was worth leaving his old life for and Baekhyun was far from lonely. At that time, Baekhyun was innocent enough to think he could live without the sea if it meant he was loved.

Until the worst happened… until his so-called boyfriend fell for another mermaid's song. So much for 'true love'. Now, the mere sight of a happy couple is enough to make his blood boil.

If it wasn't for Jongin, another banished siren who took him under his care, Baekhyun would have been lost. The problem is, Jongin isn't a fan of Baekhyun's messing with humans or his illegal swims near the shore.

Baekhyun feels the familiar anxiety of someone who knows they've misbehaved bubbling up in him when he's about to enter his house. Carefully, he opens the door and pokes his head inside before stepping in. Hopefully, Jongin is still working at the coffee shop. When he hears rushed steps stomping into the living room, Baekhyun knows he didn't have such luck.

"Where were you? You totally ditched me today." Jongin crosses his arms menacingly. By Baek's still wet hair, he already knows the answer. Baekhyun had wasted the whole day swimming at the beach and forgot about the world again. "The café was buzzing with people."

"Huh, sorry... I got carried away." Baekhyun smiles meekly, using Jongin's eye-rolling as a chance to escape unscathed, but his nosy roommate holds him by the wrist.

"Wait, what's on your hand?"

Shit, the engagement ring. It completely escaped Baek's mind, he should've put it in his pocket when he had the chance. Swiftly, he frees his hand and hides it behind his back as if it didn't make it even more suspicious. By Jongin's incredulous expression, it's clear he saw the diamond twinkling shamelessly on Baek's finger and, even worse, has figured out how he got it. 

" _ Again _ , Baekhyun?" He begins, making the siren groan loudly. "You  _ know _ I need your help during the weekends. If you want to bother innocent couples with your childish pranks at least do it on your days off!!"

Baekhyun gasps. "My pranks aren never childish!" he leans forward, pointing a finger right under Jongin's nose. "And none of my targets are innocent." 

"Baekhyun, you once called a flock of seagulls to swarm a bride," Jongin states matter-of-factly, which, really, Baekhyun thinks this story should earn him at least a reluctant smile.

"Oh come on! She deserved it! The way she kept making the bridesmaids beg for her to throw the bouquet? Sadistic bitch."

"Right, and so you had a bird steal the bouquet for your anti-couple shrine."

"You can't judge me for keeping tokens, every siren has a shrine for their treasures. I never say anything about your bear collection!"

Jongin raises his hands in defeat. "Fine, then how about that time you turned over those high schoolers' boat because they were holding hands?"

"Canoeing is lame and you know it…" Baekhyun mutters under his breath and walks to his room with Jongin right on his tail.

"Or when you called a seagull to poop on that elderly couple-"

"Do you have a point?" Baekhyun turns back, already inside his room and hands holding the doorknob, ready to close it at the first chance he gets.

"I know that you're still hurting, but it's been two years Baekhyun. It's time you dealt with-"

At this point, Baekhyun bangs the door on Jongin's face. 

"One of these days you're going to fall in love again and realize how much of a douche you're being!" Came the muffled voice from the corridor.

Too annoyed for words, Baekhyun waits with his ear glued to the door for Jongin's steps to fade in the distance. Finally alone, he takes a relieved breath and focuses on the ring on his finger.

_ Fall in love. Pfft, right. _ Jongin is too much of a romantic for his own good and Baekhyun…

Baekhyun is just tired.

With his mood ruined, the siren takes the ring off and opens the closet, revealing numerous tokens he has stolen from couples this past year. Illuminated by fairy lights and carefully displayed there's a large, elegant women's hat, a watch, a broken watch, necklaces, ties, a hand-mirror… Now that he looks closely, it's starting to get a little clustered in here. Baekhyun places the diamond ring close to a wedding band and takes a step back.

Yup, definitely clustered…

He's going to need a bigger shrine.

♩ ♪ ♫

After their argument, Jongin keeps an eye on Baekhyun and gives him longer shifts at their coffee shop, making sure he's too exhausted to go for a swim or bully random couples. It takes two whole weeks for Baekhyun to think ' _ screw it _ ' and give in to his longing for the sea.

Once his shift is done for the day, Baekhyun makes a detour to the beach, escaping while his roommate is still busy serving tables. Baekhyun reaches the abandoned lighthouse with a frantic delight, tossing his clothes all over the shore and jumping in without a care in the world. The feeling of cold, refreshing water kissing his skin after a tortuous hot day serving stupid humans is overwhelming, and his legs merge together into a beautiful, sparkly mermaid tail, making the siren moan with the delight of stretching in his true form.

Nothing can compare to the sea, and as he swims – careful to not let himself be visible to any humans who may pass by – Baekhyun's only regret is that he can't afford to dive further from the shore where some other siren can spot him. After a couple of hours, and still too soon for Baekhyun's thirst for the ocean to be satisfied, he knows it's time to leave. If he manages to get home before Jongin, maybe he won't get scolded.

With both hands on a mossy stone, Baekhyun props himself off the water, fishtail halfway visible when he hears a loud slap.

"I can't do this anymore, Chanyeol!" someone screeches. A girl. And by her tone, it's clear that she's crying.

_ Shit shit shit _ . Baekhyun swallows his heart down his throat and falls back in the sea, looking around to find one of the dreaded couples on the small pier near his spot. 

No. Freaking. Way.

_ Again _ ? Don't these people have better things to do with their time than going on dates?

Except, this time, it doesn't seem like Baekhyun will have to prank anyone. Their moment is already ruined. Both of them look miserable, faces contorted with pain. The man holds his cheek with a hand, looking small in spite of the fact that he's towering over her. From here, Baek can't see his face clearly, only hear the hurt in his voice as he begs.

"I want to get past this... I thought-"

Curiosity has Baekhyun swimming closer, using the rocks as cover. 

Frustrated, she combs her hair with her fingers. "Thought what, huh? Chanyeol, we're over, why did you ask me to come here? Stop acting like a creep and leave me alone!" 

Baekhyun frowns. If she didn't want to go out with him, all she had to do was say no. Better yet, she could have just ignored him. Honestly, why are couples so damn dramatic?

"I just want to talk," the man pleads. "Hear me out, Hyera, please. I love you, I- I can be better."

Woah, talk about lowering yourself for a girl. The scene is so pitiful even a love-hating siren like Baekhyun is half-hoping she'll come around and forgive the poor guy.

She laughs bitterly, turning her back to Chanyeol. "Yeah, right. Like  _ that _ will ever happen."

_ Ouch, Harsh. _

After that final blow, the girl storms off. No doubt feeling high from the sweet victory of breaking a man's heart.

The guy sobs, roughly wiping his tears away. Baekhyun had been so distracted, he didn't even notice how close he got to the pier. From this close, he can clearly see the man now. His cheek is deep red from the slap, and his eyes are puffy and wet, though free of tears after wiping them all off. 

"Way to go, idiot," the heartbroken man whispers to himself, voice almost cracking at the end. Tears threaten to fall again, and Chanyeol smiles bitterly. 

It's mesmerizing, Baekhyun is so entranced with the scene he can hardly blink. Chanyeol's hair is styled up, but disheveled, like he readied himself for this date and ruined it by nervously running his hands through it. Poor guy, it's hard to believe he expected a good outcome, but he still tried to persuade her.

Crestfallen, Chanyeol looks at the sea and Baekhyun swallows a gasp, hiding underneath the pier. Great, he's stuck here now. 

Above him, Chanyeol sits on the planked floor, feet dangling right in front of Baekhyun. This would be the perfect opportunity to grab them, scaring the man with cold watery fingers or put a sea urchin on his leg. Yet, somehow, the siren can't bring himself to scare the fragile human. Baekhyun rests his head on the wood that keeps the pier afloat, closing his eyes and concentrating on the soft sobbing Chanyeol let out every once in a while.

_ It's okay, you'll be alright. _ He promises in his head.

Both stare at the Sun setting over the ocean. The lilac sky is breathtaking as the sea mimics its palette and the waves accompany with their soothing symphony. However, neither pay attention to the beautiful sight.

A minute goes by…

Ten…

_ For how long is this loser going to keep crying?  _ Baekhyun thinks. It isn't Chanyeol's tears that anger him, but the way they remind him of himself - crying hopelessly where no one can hear, wishing things could've been different.  _ Oh, fuck it. _

"Hey!" Baekhyun gets out of his hiding spot, praying that the water is dark enough to hide his tail.

Startled, Chanyeol almost falls from the pier. For a moment, he watches Baekhyun swimming from underneath him with pure bewilderedness. Then, as if remembering himself, he looks away to hide his pitiful swollen eyes.

"Go away," he mumbles.

"There, there. Don't worry, I'm here to help," Baekhyun says proudly "I'll give you a treat, just this once."

There's only one way Baekhyun knows how to help, and that is by singing to him.

A siren's song can enchant a man for days, maybe even a week when the melody is beautiful enough. The human would be taken by Baekhyun, obsessed even. It wouldn't be permanent, just like there was no way to make someone truly fall in love with magic. But it would last long enough that, by the time the enchantment had passed, Chanyeol wouldn't be heartbroken anymore.

"What? Sorry, I'm not interested," Chanyeol starts to get up, and Baekhyun shushes him softly, giggling at his affronted frown. 

"You can thank me later," he says, then closes his eyes and lets his heart take over. 

Baekhyun rests his hands on his chest as the first notes to his melody leave his lips, hauntingly beautiful. Suddenly, the waves aren't as loud, the seagulls don't make a peep. The whole world seems to quiet down for him.

Not every song can enchant a man, the melody needs to come from within. Most sirens sing about love or lust, but Baekhyun's song is different. It's filled with loneliness and heartbreak that can bring tears to the stoic's eyes and inspire empathy in a cruel man's soul.

When Baekhyun sings, people offer him the world in exchange for a smile.

As the melody comes to a climax, intricate and passionate, Chanyeol takes in a breath. He isn't sobbing anymore. A cocky smile is already settling on Baek's face, completely entranced by the rush of power in his veins as he reaches the end of his song.

Then, there's silence. Not a word comes from Chanyeol, probably too enamored with the young siren to speak. Slowly, Baekhyun opens his eyes, coming face to face with the handsome disheveled man whose dark eyes watch him intently. Now, it's Baekhyun who has trouble letting the air out of his lungs.

"I'm done," he announces, unsure of what else to say to break the silence. Baekhyun poses himself, tilting his head as he laughs insolently. "Well then, now that you're better, go buy me something sweet. I'm in the mood for-"

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“Er, thanks for the song, I guess… but I really want to be left alone now.” Fully standing now, Chanyeol rubs a tired hand on his eye. Not like it helps much, his nose is still dripping and red, and his puffy eyes give his pain away to anyone who cares enough to look.

“Wait!" Baekhyun swims forward, flinching when Chanyeol takes a step back. "I said I want something sweet.”

"Sucks to be you."

"You don't want to spend time with me?" Baekhyun pushes on, the mere thought of Chanyeol rejecting his attention too foreign for him to fully grasp.

"No! Leave me the fuck alone!" he snaps.

Baekhyun freezes on the spot, looking so much like a deer in headlights that even someone as done as Chanyeol takes his time to calm down. With a deep intake of air, he tries to explain. "Look, I know you think you're helping or whatever, but you're not. My girlfriend just broke up with me," Chanyeol's voice cracks and he shakes his head, turning his back to Baekhyun and mumbling as he walks away. "...the last thing I need is some weirdo following me around and asking me to buy him stuff."

Baekhyun watches him go, mouth open and yet nothing to say. 

Did… did this human just resist his song?

No way…

Baekhyun is beyond himself with confusion, he barely notices the walk back home. Not even his friend's incessant nagging makes him lock himself in his room like usual, Baekhyun’s just numb. Flabbergasted.

_ How? How did he do that?  _ The siren muses, sure that whatever happened was because of that human, Chanyeol, and not something Baekhyun did wrong. No, Baek’s song is perfect.

“Jongin, have you ever heard of a human that can resist ensorcellment?” he asks, regretting it instantly when his friend snaps his head at him with a frown.

“Why are you asking this? Baekhyun, you promised you wouldn't sing to humans-”

“Yes, I remember. I was just curious.” Baek rolls his eyes, hiding the fact that promise was one he never meant to keep.

Jongin eyes him suspiciously, not sure if it’s safe to answer. “Well… my mother used to say that a man in love can’t be bewitched.”

A familiar sting pricks Baekhyun’s heart with the words. “Huh.”

So Chanyeol is in love with that screaming girl from the pier who hit him? Talk about having poor taste. With that last thought, Baekhyun shrugs the memory of the weird human from his mind and settles for the night. However, no matter how hard he tries to ignore it, the image of Chanyeol’s puffy eyes keeps crawling back to him.

_ That man is so in love he can't be bewitched, and his lover dumped him anyway. _

_ Couples really are cursed. _

With that last bitter thought, Baekhyun makes a point to not think about that human anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

Jongin is the proud owner of the coffee shop/ice-cream parlour Baekhyun and a few other waiters work at. The place was meticulously designed to be sea-themed and still somehow overthrown with flowers. It is charming in a picturesque kind of way.

Too bad Baekhyun isn't a fan of his job. He is good at it, sure, always attentive to customers, and the one who makes the best cappuccino in the city. The problem is, the closest thing they ever get to excitement around here is the open mic nights Jongin insists on hosting every month. Well, that and the fact that when you're angry around couples, working at a seaside café is a sure way to make your pressure rise. Especially in late spring.

_ This shit again. _

Tsking from behind the counter, he can't help but follow a young couple with his eyes as they find a seat outside. The girl has innocent, sparkly eyes with fluffy hair that dances with the breeze, and the guy couldn't look more smitten if he tried. Baekhyun's only blessing is that there's a glass wall between them, so he doesn't have to listen to them being all mushy and sickeningly sweet.

Thankfully, Baek is nothing if not prepared. In spite of the promise he made to Jongin, the siren formulates a simple plan to ruin their evening. Though they're clearly into each other, those two seem unsure of how to behave. The girl's wearing a white dress with blue ribbons that give her a "cute aura". Right then and there, Baekhyun decided it would be a pity if her dress got stained and their date ruined.

With a pleased smile on his lips, he prepares a chocolate milkshake, the best he has done in his life: extra large and lots of syrup to make it extra sweet. Carefully, he glances at Jongin who is chatting with a customer. It's the perfect opportunity to strike. Casually, he walks out the door with the plainest expression he can muster.

"Y-you know, there's something I always wanted to tell you..." the girl says, blushing harder than a tomato.

"Yeah?" The guy moves closer to her, entranced by what is coming.

Baekhyun is heading their way, the image of her ruined dress edging him forward. All he has to do is fake-trip near the table, no one would ever suspect it was anything but an accident. 

"I have always-"

"Oops!" Baekhyun throws himself forward, hands as clumsy as he can make them, but before he can properly trip and tip the milkshake over, something holds him in place.

"You okay?" someone asks, arm securely around Baekhyun's chest to keep him from falling over. The milkshake wobbles on the tray, ultimately winning against gravity and proudly not spilling a drop.

In their own world, the couple barely notices the tragedy that almost hit them, holding hands as the girl continues her shy confession. Baekhyun looks at his "savior" with murder in his eyes, just as the lovebirds trade their "I love you"s. 

Yet his anger quickly becomes surprise when he notices who it is.  _ Chanyeol _ . Tall and nerdy, puffy eyes and sad frown replaced with a goofy smile that makes the siren want to hit him. Reluctantly, Baek remembers to smile as well.

"Yeah, thanks."

Once he is sure Baekhyun isn't going to lose his balance, Chanyeol lets his arm down and the waiter takes a step back. He looks different from that day on the pier. For starters, his hair is down and fluffy, and he’s wearing nerdy glasses and an oversized hoodie that screams “recently broken up”.

"Good thing that didn't spill!" Chanyeol says.

_ Well, no. Because no one ordered this thing so I don't have anyone to deliver it to. _ Baekhyun thinks, but what escapes his mouth is a high-pitched " _ Eh _ ?"

"The milkshake? I thought you were heading for their table."

"Right..." Cornered by his own failure of a plan, Baekhyun clears his throat near the customers, finally bringing them back to planet Earth. "To the happy couple."

"We didn't order anything yet," the girl says shily while her date can't take his eyes off her.

"It's on the house!" Baek manages to say, fake smile frozen awkwardly on his face. It doesn't seem to matter as the girl giggles and accepts the drink. Oh, how he wishes he hadn't picked the heart-shaped straw as a joke. "Enjoy!"

_ Kill me, Lord. _

Now not only did his plan fail, but somehow Baekhyun made the happy couple even happier. As soon as the milkshake is safely on their table, the siren turns his back to them and quickly retreats to the counter. What he doesn't account for is that Chanyeol follows him inside.

"Do you want to order or something?" He snaps at the big guy.

"Hm, this may seem weird but," Chanyeol begins, scratching the back of his neck. "I think we met earlier this week? At the beach? You sang me a song."

Baekhyun brings a finger to his cheek, pretending to think. "Oh, so  _ you're _ that guy who got dumped? I didn't recognize you without all the snot and misery."

He says it out of spite, just to get a rise out of the human. Hey, no one ever refused his song before. Baek's allowed a little bitterness. To Chanyeol's credit, he doesn't seem offended, only embarrassed at the memory.

"Okay, I guess I deserved that a bit," he says in a low, sweet voice that makes Baekhyun's eyes widen. "I mean, you only wanted to cheer me up with that song, and then I snapped at you. It's been bothering me, so... hm, I'm, well,  _ sorry _ ."

_He_ is sorry? For Baekhyun listening in on his private moment and then acting like a jerk?

_ No way. No one is that nice. _

"That's it. Guess I'll see you around." Chanyeol gives him one last awkward nod and makes a bee-line to the door.

Before Baekhyun can fully comprehend what's happening, his mouth moves on its own. "Hey!"

Chanyeol turns to him, and the siren bites his tongue. Why did he stop him? There's nothing he wants to say. "Can I get you something? On the house."

"A chocolate milkshake," the taller decides with a playful smile. "With a pink heart-shaped straw. If you can throw that on my face, that'd be great."

Baekhyun's expression must've been a sight to behold because Chanyeol is quick to laugh at it and take a seat by the counter. "I'm kidding, a coffee will do. I'm Park Chanyeol by the way."

"Byun Baekhyun." The answer is automatic despite the fact that he's wearing a name tag.

As the siren pours the man a cup of coffee he can't help but think that maybe Chanyeol's immunity to ensorcellment has little to do with him being in love. Maybe he is just a weirdo.

"Did you get the girl back?" Baekhyun waits for a 'yes' just as much as he foretells a 'no'. The little happiness that had gathered on Chanyeol's eyes dim and that's all the answer he needs to serve the poor man a brownie.

"She blocked me on everything, so that's that. It just sucks, you know? I really thought that we…" he trails off, poking the brownie with a spoon.

"Why did you guys break up? Wait, let me guess... You cheated on her." Baekhyun stares at Chanyeol's sweet, innocent eyes and immediately shakes his head. "No, I could bet a banana muffin that you're too clingy to cheat," he states, and Chanyeol gives him a guilty shrug. "I knew it. Then, was  _ she _ the cheater? No, wait. I bet you drove each other mad with possessiveness and realized life is too short to be with only one person."

"Aren't you a bit young to be that bitter?"

"Aren't you a bit old to be a cry-baby?" 

"Touché." Chanyeol chuckles darkly, his fingers tapping on the side of the mug. "It wasn't anything like that. We didn't make each other miserable or anything. We were good for each other, or at least that's what I used to think. We were planning on moving in together, but then last week she called it off saying..." Chanyeol's voice falls to a whisper and he takes a moment to compose himself before getting back on track. "Well, she just fell out of love, there's nothing I can do about it. I can't really fault her for that." 

In-between the conversation, Baekhyun is too insulted to notice Jongin giving him the sting-eye for slacking off. He has no mind for cleaning tables, not with the way the heartbroken human sighs and looks at him with a half-smile, trying to appear fine when he's so clearly not.

"My biggest problem right now is finding a new place to live. I sold everything to move in with her and now I got nothing." he sighs and pushes the plate away.

Baekhyun saw so much of himself in the human, he could make a freaking speech about what he just said, write a whole dissertation with trust-worthy sources and everything. 

"Of course you can be angry with her, she left you stranded!" Near them, a customer jumps in his seat, but Baekhyun is too annoyed to care about keeping it down. "Stop being such a doormat! Saying she fell out of love is the same as saying she dumped you over nothing. Then she was cruel about it at the pier, and now you're telling me she made you sell all your stuff? Oh no, that girl needs a reality check, she needs to get off her high horse and understand that other people's feelings matter!" 

If anything, his speech is amusing enough to inspire another chuckle from Chanyeol. "Thanks, but it's okay. She's not a bad person, I'm not angry at her or anything-"

"Yeah, but  _ I _ am," Baekhyun says full of determination. "Where are you staying right now?"

Still puzzled by the sudden outburst, Chanyeol takes a sip of his coffee before deciding to answer. "At the Seaside Hotel, it's a few blocks away. To tell the truth, I was walking home from work when I saw you on the street." 

"Wait a minute." On the back of Baek's mind, alarms go off to remind him the Seaside is a five-star hotel. "You're  _ rich _ ? So you dressed like that by  _ choice _ ?" He blurts out, almost offended. 

"I'm not rich!" he denies, but then a worried frown forms on his head. "W-what's wrong with my clothes?"

"Listen here, Chanyeol, today is your lucky day because I'm going to give you a treat."

"Now, where have I heard this before?"

"First, we're going to find you a new place," Baekhyun talks over him but narrows his eyes to make Chanyeol know he's on thin ice. "Then, we're going to get you new, sexier clothes."

"Seriously, what's wrong with my clothes?" Chanyeol looks down at his grayish hoodie.

"And then!" Baek raises his voice once again, leaning over the counter with a wink. "We'll have her crawling back in no time."

The rest of the shift is spent ignoring customers and focusing only on real estate prices. And if Jongin disapproves of Baekhyun slacking off to sit next to a non-paying customer, so they can hunch over his phone and angrily whisper about houses and how  _ everyone _ needs a pool, well, he is smart enough not to mention.

Little did he know that Chanyeol would become their number one regular at the coffee shop.

♩ ♪ ♫

Sundays take longer to arrive when your boss is keeping an eye on your every move. 

On what Baekhyun calls a 'dick move', Jongin forces him to work harder for every minute he spends chatting with a certain customer. In-between Chanyeol's frequent visits, Baekhyun got to know him a bit more. Enough for his one-sided distaste for the guy's ex-girlfriend to grow exponentially bigger.

Chanyeol wouldn't dare to say bad things about her, oh no. The gullible human doesn't even mention her without Baekhyun insistent questions, doesn't even approve of the siren wanting to get back at his ex. But there  _ must _ be something inherently wrong with a girl that dumps such a sweet, caring person.

Okay, maybe Baekhyun is a little biased. Maybe his newfound friendship with the guy is blinding him to his faults. But Chanyeol just seems so  _ perfect _ to him.

"Did I mention that he's a marine biologist?" 

Busy cleaning a table, Jongin can only sigh at his friend. "Yes Baek, you mention it all the time."

"Here, look, he sent me this pic." Ignoring his comment, Baekhyun pester him forward by shoving his phone in his friend's face. "He's playing with a seal, Jongin. A  _ baby seal _ . That he  _ rescued _ . They look so happy, right?"

"Yeah, Baek. The seal looks very happy with him."

"I mean, who dumps a marine biologist that helps  _ baby seals _ ? I bet  _ she _ doesn't rescue animals." 

"Baekhyun," Jongin answers tiredly. "How about you leave your jealous fits for after-hours?"

It's the wrong thing to say, as Baek gasps loudly and insists for the next ten minutes that he is  _ totally not jealous _ , and how  _ dare _ Jongin even assume something so horrible when he's only helping a customer? 

Apologizing, Jongin nods along as if deeply regretting his words. Though he doesn't fail to notice how Baekhyun's eyes shine a little when his phone starts beeping again.

"Chanyeol asked me to go shopping with him," he says, then studies the little calendar on the wall with his shifts written down.

"Does he want to go now? You can go if it's now," Jongin insists eagerly, backtracking as Baekhyun eyes him with suspicion. "I mean, there aren't many customers today. I can handle it." He doesn't mention that he  _ has _ been handling it on his own while Baekhyun just fumbled with his phone and talked about baby seals. And he certainly doesn’t complain when Chanyeol stops by five minutes later to take his co-worker away.

♩ ♪ ♫

Chanyeol’s wearing another hoodie today, which is almost offensive when you leave by the beach and it isn’t even cold outside. It’s weird. What Baekhyun felt was a  _ sloppy look  _ now seems almost charming. The fluffy hair and nerdy-glasses give Yeol a whole ‘boyfriend look’ that Baekhyun completely missed when he first saw it. Too bad it only makes him crankier about finding Chanyeol a new style to impress Hyera.

"What kind of clothes does your girl like?" he asks, hands skillfully going through leather jackets on the racks.

"Hyera's not my girl anymore," Chanyeol is quick to say. "I’m not sure… Hm, she always liked it when I wore a suit and took her out." 

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. All he gets from that is that she really likes to be taken out to fancy places. Seriously, this guy is too nice for his own good. "Fine, then. Let's look at blazers. We need to make you look good but not in a way that makes it seem you wanted to look good for  _ her _ . Suits are forbidden." 

"But isn't that your plan?" 

"Yeah, but she can't know that that's  _ our _ plan," Baekhyun insists. 

"I don't get it," Chanyeol sighs. "Isn't it better to be direct about your feelings? Spend time with who you want without any confusing mind games or double-meanings?"

"And that's why you're single."

"Oh, so you're dating someone? Are they here?" Chanyeol looks around as if searching for someone.

Fighting a smile, Baekhyun doesn't miss the opportunity to lightly elbow his side as they walk towards the evening wear. "Whatever! You got the meaning." 

Unfortunately, in a town by the sea, there aren’t many options for blazers. People don’t usually spend their vacations being all fancy when they can go for a swim. If stupid Hyera liked oversized shirts with flower patterns they’d be set.

"I don't see the point of buying clothes to impress someone who clearly wants nothing to do with me," Chanyeol muses from the fitting room.

"Don't worry, she'll come around. She's going to start missing you any moment now." Baekhyun sits on a sofa for waiting customers. "And when she does, you'll be her wet dream come true."

"I don't know about that, It's been almost a month."

Growing more and more impatient, Baekhyun urges him to hurry. The curtains open, and the siren is promptly back on his feet. 

Chanyeol never worried much over looks. Still, his confidence starts to waver as he tries on the clothes Baek picked for him. Every time he changes, Baekhyun circles him meticulously and  _ tsks _ . Then, he throws him something else to try on.

It's worrisome, and honestly a bit unflattering.

"This is ridiculous," Baekhyun finally gives up, falling back on the sofa.

"Oh, do I look that bad?" Chanyeol turns back at his reflection, eyes downcast.

"No!" Baekhyun replies, amazed he asked that. "They  _ all _ look good on you. How is this fair?"

Their gazes meet at the mirror, Baekhyun's decided eyes with Chanyeol's increasingly softer ones. He smiles fondly at the siren. "Don't say that, you're the one who looks good all the time."

Baek snorts. "Besides today, you've only seen me in an apron at work."

"Not true. I've seen your bare chest too," he notes, absently minded.

"What?"

"Y-you know, that day at the beach?" Chanyeol says all flustered. It doesn't help his nerves that Baekhyun only stares at him with raised eyebrows. "Sorry, it just popped in my head."

"Really?" Baekhyun smirks mischievously. "And do you mind telling me how often my naked chest pops in your head?"

Mortified, Chanyeol covers his face with his hands while Baekhyun laughs loudly at him. "That's not- I don't mean-" he tries, then shakes his head. "Excuse me!"

Chanyeol disappears to hide in the fitting room, leaving Baekhyun alone to calm down.

_ Was he flirting with me?  _

...

_ No, he wouldn't. _

They were buying clothes so he can impress someone else. There's no room for flirting. Chanyeol is just that sweet to throw compliments whenever he can. It's second-nature to the guy.

At the cashier, Baekhyun is still teasing the taller when a  _ beeping _ sound throws them off.  Chanyeol takes his phone from his pocket, all but paling when he sees the name on the screen.

"Something wrong?" There's something bitter in Baek's mouth as he says the words, almost as if he knows what's coming.

"Hyera just texted me."

Baekhyun shrugs. "Told you she'd come around."

Next day at work, he replaces sugar with salt at a married couple's table.


	3. Chapter 3

The texting starts off pretty innocent. Hyera only asks simple questions like if Chanyeol found a new place yet (he did, Baekhyun went house hunting with him) or how he's been (Chanyeol's just fine, not thanks to her though). It's stupid, but Baekhyun has to suppress a groan every time that woman texts. Her intentions are just so obvious it almost makes him gag.

"Don't talk about meeting again yet," Baekhyun instructs, all business. "That's what she's fishing for."

"I'm not so sure about that," Chanyeol puts his phone back in his pocket and leans on the counter. "How do you know she's not just curious?"

Baekhyun snorts. Poor, innocent Chanyeol is always hoping for the best in people. "Trust me, she was too cruel to be the one asking to try again. Hyera wants you to beg her to come back to you, so later she can act all high and mighty when she says yes. So right now, what you have to do is wait until  _ she _ asks you out. The only way to restore your relationship's balance is if she admits she was too harsh on you."

Despite the siren's sound reasoning, Chanyeol is still unconvinced that his ex could plot something like that. But there's no doubt in Baekhyun's mind that a woman that's so vicious when breaking up wouldn't just shamelessly ask how her ex's doing without so much as a 'sorry for blowing up like that'. There's just zero shame on the way she's asking about his new place. 

However, instead of explaining this and possibly making the human sad, Baekhyun goes for the better route of offering him food.

"Muffin?"

"You'll have to pay for that!" Jongin yells from the back.

"No you won't," Baek whispers, winking. Chanyeol perks up and they're happily chatting again. 

Until Chanyeol blurts out something that takes both of them off guard.

"Let me take you out."

It's pure luck that saves Baekhyun from dropping a recently-baked tray of croissants. "Take  _ me _ out?"

_ It's a date. Chanyeol's calling me on a date. _

Baekhyun's flustered state is only fueled by Chanyeol's blushing. 

"Y-yeah," Chanyeol looks down at his muffin, struggling to find the words to explain. "Maybe you can help me check out some dating spots. You know, for when Hyera does call. Besides, I need to repay you for helping me out."

Oh, right. It's a mock date. Obviously. Baekhyun isn't sure what possessed him to think Chanyeol wanted to go on a real date with him. After all, he is a man in love.

"Sure," Baekhyun agrees, though for whatever reason his stupid heart is still beating like crazy.

Slowly (and much to Jongin's delight), they start to meet more often out of the café than in it. All in favor of finding the 'perfect spot' for Hyera's and Chanyeol's reconciliation.

They start small with a cup of coffee. After all, it's usual dating protocol to talk over a cup of coffee. But after three different coffee shops, Chanyeol decides he wants to try other things and soon enough they're arguing over what movie to watch at the local cinema instead of what Chanyeol should say to get his girl back.

"What are you guys doing today?" Jongin asks, leaning against the doorframe of his roommate's room.

"Dunno," Baek's answer comes somewhat muffled as he struggles to find the right shirt to wear. "Chanyeol wants me to meet him at the pier near the old lighthouse."

"What? That's dangerous. If you fall in the sea-"

"Yeah, yeah, my tail will show, I know. Look, you don't have to worry." He finally settles for a blue one, eyes still trained on his reflection as he starts to fix his hair "Knowing his romantic ass, I think we're having a picnic by the sea or something. You know, the other day he-" he turns to look at Jongin and his smile dissipates. "Why are you looking at me like that?" 

"No reason," Jongin says with a knowing smirk. As he leaves the room, he can't help but notice that Baekhyun's anti-love shrine has disappeared.

When Baekhyun reaches the lighthouse, he's longing for the ocean. Nowadays he's been so focused on having these mock dates with Chanyeol he has been neglecting his need for a swim. The siren takes a moment to fill his lungs with the salty sea-breeze, making a silent promise to come back soon after today's date.

"Baekhyun!" Chanyeol calls from the pier, waving his arms happily. His usual hoodie is nowhere to be found, which is a victory in itself. Instead, the human is dashing in a simple white shirt and shorts.

Baekhyun feels himself smiling back. At this point, smiling is a basic reflex to Chanyeol. There's no picnic basket or any food to be seen, not that Baekhyun would've noticed, too busy gawking at the huge thing behind Chanyeol, floating in the water.

"I knew you were rich!" Baekhyun exclaims, half-joking and half accusatory. "Only rich people have boats!"

"As much as I'd love to show off to you, it's not mine." They observe the boat, painted white, and roomy enough to fit them comfortably. "A friend lends it to me sometimes."

"Ok, so you have rich friends."

"No, I have friends with boats. You kind of meet lots of sea-enthusiasts when you're a marine biologist."

Still smiling, Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Looks like you found a way to show off after all, Mr. Marine Biologist." 

Chanyeol masks his embarrassment with a cough and extends his arm to the siren. For a moment, Baek hesitates to take it. There's a pit in his stomach telling him it's a bad idea.

"Oh, you don't want to?" The longer Baekhyun takes to get on board, the more uneasy he feels. "We can do something else if you want."

"No! I love boat rides," Baek insists, gathering enough courage to take the human's arm and get on the boat. It'll be fine. All that nervousness was Jongin's fault for nagging him about being careful around water. "How did you come up with this?"

"Well," Chanyeol begins, then shakes his head. "Nevermind."

Baekhyun presses on, half-expecting some sob story about how Hyera always wanted a boat or something. Which only makes the answer he gets even more charming.

"Whenever we were near the beach, you'd have this… I don't know, an almost sad look in your eyes. Then I thought about how we met here and figured this would be a great spot for a date." All this is said while Chanyeol dutifully puts a life-jacket on the smaller. Baekhyun doesn't even complain about how he doesn't need one, too mesmerized with the words.

_ This isn't a mock date to figure out how to impress someone else. He came up with all of this for me _ .

It's a dangerous thought that he knows better than to dwell on. While Chanyeol starts off the engine, Baekhyun is kicking that idea right out of his brain.  _ No, get it together Baekhyun. He's in love with Hyera. He is so in love he can't fall for you even when there's magic involved. _

And what was meant to be grounding, logical thinking ends up saddening Baekhyun into a sulk. Thankfully, that doesn't last long. Chanyeol's cheerfulness to be off-shore is contagious. From the pier, he can see their destination: a small island surrounded by crystal clear water.

"It's a private island, but that's okay because we won't get off. There's usually dolphins around there, and I really want you to see them. They're so happy and cute!"

Baekhyun nods along, excitement filling him at once. What he can't mention is that he has played and swam with those dolphins before. At some point, Chanyeol puts some extra sunscreen on the smaller's nose. 

"I don't want that cute face of yours to get Sun-burned."

_ He's not flirting. He's  _ **_not_ ** _ flirting.  _ Baekhyun reminds himself on a loop.

"Oh look, I think I saw one." Chanyeol points to something far off the other side of the boat and Baekhyun jumps at the distraction. "Be careful." 

Not caring for the human's warning (and also not at all scared of the sea) Baekhyun leans on the side of the boat, far off the safety-wall. He's almost seeing something in the water, but not quite. So far off the shore, the water is clear enough for any fish to be visible, that dolphin is simply too far. He rests his weight mostly on his hands as he tries to lean closer. Maybe he can convince the animal to come closer, it sure would make Chanyeol's day.

"Baekhyun!" The human screams as Baekhyun's hand slips on the wet surface and he falls headfirst into the icy water.

His first thoughts are blissful and disorienting. Baekhyun feels rather than sees the fabric of his pants tearing as the magic joins his lower limbs together and if it wasn't for the life-jacket he would have sunk deeper into the ocean. Instead, his head is forced out of the water much earlier than he would have hoped for and definitely too soon for him to figure out what to do.

Chanyeol's standing right where Baekhyun was when he fell, distinct relief in his features as he smiles, seeing the smaller is okay. "If you wanted to swim, you could've just said something-" he freezes, eyes darting to the side.

Any hope Baekhyun would have of hiding his tail is lost with the dreadful sight of his ruined pants emerging beside him. Chanyeol's eyes are back on him, but instead of his face, he is looking further down, face increasingly pale. Baekhyun's tail is sparkly, light, and simply impossible to hide under crystal clear waters. 

_ Oh, Jongin will have a field day with this. _

They stand silently, staring each other down. Right now, it's impossible to tell how badly the human will react to this, so Baekhyun simply waits for his cue. It's just his luck that the one human that found out about his secret is the one he can't enchant. Anything can happen, from accusations of Baekhyun being a monster, to Chanyeol bolting away in disgust and leaving him behind. What he gets though, is mild confusion.

"Baekhyun, your legs are gone." There's something manic about his voice, the way he can barely believe he's saying them out loud.

"I know," Baekhyun answers mechanically.

Chanyeol takes a weak step back, bringing one hand to his head. "This is a dream. I'm- I'm hallucinating," he decides. "I need a seat." 

Skillfully, Baekhyun swims closer to the boat but lacks courage to get off the water. When he does, Chanyeol will be able to really look at him, and he'll do anything he can to avoid this confrontation. Mermaids are romanticized in human literature and romance movies, but that's it. Few humans would be okay with meeting a siren in real life and coming to terms with the fact that they can be hypnotized into doing stuff they'd never dream of.

"Yeol," Baekhyun goes for a friendly approach, trying to lock eyes with the desperate human. "It's okay, everything is okay."

"What do you mean 'it's okay'? Your legs turned into a fishtail!" he points desperately to Baek's lower half. "That isn't normal."

"It is to me. I'm a merman, okay? A siren." 

Incredulous, Chanyeol mouths the word 'siren' and falls back on the wooden floor. Baekhyun takes in a breath. Now they're closer to eye-level, he could touch the human, take his hand if needed.

"Wait," Chanyeol snaps his head back at him so fast, it's a wonder he doesn't get whiplash. "You sang me a song when we first met."

Baekhyun winces, and the human's mouth falls open.

"Did your song leave me under some sort of spell? That would explain-"

"No!" Baekhyun takes his hands, shaking his head. "My song doesn't work on people who are truly in love. Even if it did, it only lasts a few days." 

"Then if I wasn't in love with Hyera..."

Baekhyun flinches, the words prickling the back of his eyes. "You would've been enchanted for about a week and then gotten over me."

Cold laughter leaves Yeol's lungs. "That's..."

"It's too much, I know, but… But it's the only way I know how to mend a broken heart: move on and never think about it again. The song would make you feel happy to be near me and then, when it wore off, you wouldn't care about the breakup anymore."

Silence falls over them yet again. Every second that takes for Chanyeol to speak again takes an eternity for the poor siren. Finally, and much too late for Baekhyun to bear, the human reaches a conclusion.

"The way I see it, you wanted to help me in a weird siren-way, right?"

"Yes! Yes, I promise you, I was just trying to cheer you up and make you forget about her."

"And you're not going to try to enchant me ever again?"

"No, never. Not even if you pay me. Not even if you fall on your knees and beg me to let you love me! I'll be like 'No, Chanyeol, that will never happen! Not in a billion years!'"

"Okay, wow. Let's not go that far." Chanyeol laughs, for real this time. A huge weight lifts off Baekhyun's shoulders with that happy sound. Finally, he can breathe again. "So, how do you change back?"

He helps Baekhyun back on the boat, marveled by his tail. It is blue with hints of pink depending on how the light reflects on it. It's unlike anything Chanyeol has ever seen, and he goes as far as to ask to touch it, all red faced and ashamed to be so intrigued by it. 

At first, Chanyeol's touch is so light, Baekhyun can barely feel its warmth. Then Chanyeol gives him a silent "wow", hand roaming down on his scales and Baekhyun feels every second of it, can barely stay put while feeling him.

"Beautiful..." Chanyeol inhales. 

Baekhyun almost misses it with the way his heart is beating in his ears. Taking his hand back to where Baekhyun's hips end, Chanyeol presses down harder this time around, more confident he won't hurt the smaller. Quite the opposite.

A shameful moan leaves Baek's lips, one that is sure to haunt his memories and embarrass him for days to come. He covers his mouth with both hands just as fast as Chanyeol takes his own off him.

"Sorry!" They both fuss and apologize, looking away at the same time.

"Hm, I need to change back." 

"Okay," Chanyeol turns back at him expectantly. 

Red to his core, and thoroughly mortified, Baekhyun fights to get the words out of his mouth. "My pants are ruined. Can you please look the other way?"

Now Chanyeol is the one to turn red.

"Ah! Right, I brought extra clothes in case we went for a swim. Let me get them, they're in here somewhere.

At last, Baekhyun finds a purpose for the nerdy hoodie, and that is to cover him up now that his clothes are drenched. Not to mention the hoodie smells like Chanyeol. It's nice, kind of calming. Baekhyun is never going to make fun of girls that steal their boyfriend's hoodies ever again.

Overall, Chanyeol's clothes are simply too big for him, especially the pants, and Baekhyun probably looks ridiculous if the way the taller is avoiding to look at him is anything to go by.

They're almost back at the pier when Chanyeol gasps loudly, giving Baek a small heart-attack.

"THAT'S why you made me get a house with a pool!" He accuses, finally putting two and two together. "You want to swim in my pool! You used me!"

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this? You almost scared me to death!" 

"Yeah,  _ you're _ the one who almost died of fright today," the human laughs. Then, as a side note, he adds to himself. "I'll have to check if the fence is tall enough so my neighbors won't see you."

Those magic words are enough to end all that was left of Baekhyun's worries. Chanyeol's thinking about their future, he's not going to cut Baek out of his life.

_ Maybe on the next date they can Netflix and chill. No. No, Baekhyun, focus. You guys are just friends. _

Admiring the taller's figure, shirt glued to his torso while tying the boat to the docks, Baekhyun throws caution to the wind and makes a dangerous decision.

_ I'm never returning this hoodie. _

♩ ♪ ♫

Almost a week goes by before Chanyeol asks him out on another date. Althought they exchange texts frequently and see each other at the café, Baekhyun's mind is a treacherous thing, always ready to torture him. His thoughts go back and forth from " _ maybe he is busy _ " to " _ oh my God I freaked him out so much he won't ever spend another second alone with me ever again _ ."

It's not a healthy thought process.

What he does find out eventually, is that Chanyeol didn't take so long to ask him out because he didn't want to. He was trying to get a reservation at a restaurant.

"You forced me to buy all those blazers, it'd be a pity not to wear them," Chanyeol notes, all proud of his idea.

Baekhyun fake-gasps, outraged. "I  _ advised _ you to buy those blazers."

  
  
  


Tonight, it feels like Baekhyun is on a real date. He dressed up and didn't try to hide it with his usual "just woke up" approach to fashion. Chanyeol too styled his hair up, forehead visible, and got rid of the glasses for the occasion. Instead of meeting at the place, Chanyeol drives him there. It's all too personal for Baekhyun to not overthink it. Even when they sat at the table, Chanyeol kept throwing all these anxious looks his way, as if nervous  _ he _ might say something to ruin the night or scare Baekhyun off.

"They serve the best trout here," Chanyeol says, then winces adorably. "Sorry."

"It's okay, my people eat fish. Almost everything in the ocean does."

Any time there's a "mermaid comment", Baekhyun is guarding himself for the human to run off. So having this reassurance that not only Chanyeol doesn't mind, but cares enough to not want to offend Baek, well, it's sweet.

Soon they are full and giddy with wine. Baekhyun was never much of a wine enthusiast, but tonight he could drink all of it if it meant Chanyeol would keep looking at him like that.

Like they're on a real date and Baekhyun is breathtaking.

"You should've talked her off when she was mean to you," Baekhyun mumbles at one point, rant half-boosted by the alcohol. 

Chanyeol, sweet, loving, stupid Chanyeol smiles at him. "I never want the person I love to be sad."

"Love isn't about groveling yourself to get the girl, you know? You need someone who brings you up, not some girl that talks you down!"

"Oh, really? And who would that  _ someone _ be?" Chanyeol raises a cocky eyebrow with a teasing grin, the exact kind that would've been ridiculous if he was wearing his nerdy outfit, but takes Baekhyun's belly on a field trip now that he's looking like freaking Prince Charming.

"H-how would I know?" Baekhyun's cheeks heat up, fueled by Chanyeol's giggle and his intense brown eyes. He hurriedly looks away.

Instead of having dessert at the restaurant, they decide to eat ice-cream at Jongin's café. 

To tell the truth, Baekhyun only comes up with the idea because otherwise they'd eat there and the night would be over too soon. Now, they need to walk all the way to the café and even if that's only a few minutes more, Baekhyun will take them.

"Don't you feel weird about having a date at the place you work?" Chanyeol asks, blissfully unaware of his date's masterplan.

"Having Jongin serve me sounds like an ideal date. Besides, it has to be here. I need to keep an eye on you and the shrew so that you don't screw up."

Chanyeol takes a deep breath. He seems to debate about what to say, but ends up with "Don't call her that..."

Baekhyun feels his eye twitch, but says nothing else on the matter and simply walks to the counter to order.

Despite his words, having a date right where Jongin can watch them is too unnerving so they end up eating their dessert on a wooden bench outside. There are plotted flowers on each side of it, and there's no roof, only the fairy lights hanging from the trees. From here, they can admire the moon freely.

It's beautiful, the whole scene could have been right from a movie. Yet Baekhyun feels a turmoil inside of him. It's been there for the whole night, well repressed before and now escalating with the mention of Chanyeol's ex-girlfriend. The one he really wishes was here. The one who he loves so much, even magic can't touch him.

How long will it take for Yeol to bring Hyera here? Will he dress up for her too? Will he be so charming and attentive that she'll want to grab him by the neck and kiss him? Because that's what Baekhyun wishes he could do. If any of this was real, he'd have no doubt in his mind about what to do next.

A couple passes by, hands linked and giggling like idiots. 

"Someone needs to get a room," Baekhyun mutters darkly, thoughts as sour as the taste of the lemon ice-cream on his tongue. He should've ordered strawberry.

Beside him, Chanyeol fidgets in his seat, opens and closes his mouth, then takes a spoonful of chocolate-chips to keep it shut.

"What is it?" Baekhyun encourages. Maybe then he will stop tip-toeing around it and say what's on his mind. God knows  _ someone _ needs to say something.

Chanyeol looks at him and asks, as delicately as he can. "Baekhyun, what happened to make you hate couples so much?"

Okay, well. Someone needed to say something, but it could be anything but  _ that _ . Baekhyun sighs dramatically, choosing to look straight ahead.

"I don't hate couples. I just can't trust people that say they're in love," he begins, playing with the ice cream on the cup. He wants to choose his next words carefully, but there's no pretty way of saying it. "My ex-boyfriend cheated on me." His breathing becomes heavier. "H- he was so charming and always knew what to say to make me feel like I was the only person in the room. And I-"

Just remembering it is enough to make him feel sick. The way he'd kiss Baekhyun like it was more important than breathing, or how he'd send him chocolates when he knew the siren was having a stressful day… did he act like that with his lovers too? All that romantic crap that made Baekhyun so sure they were meant to be, it was nothing but a lie. 

"He never loved me. Plain and simple. And the worst part is that, if my sister hadn't enchanted him and rubbed it on my face, I don’t know when I would have found out." And that's as much as he dares to share. It's weird, this is possibly the first time Baekhyun could talk about his ex without it ending in tears.

Yes, it has been two years and it still hurts like it did on the first day. The thing about most couples around Baekhyun is that they can break up and still have a semblance of their old life. They keep their families and friends, and it's only the romantic interest that is lost, and easily replaced. Baekhyun had no one. He foolishly got caught with a human, shunned by his family, and then forgotten by the one person he left everything for.

One doesn't simply bounce back from that without scars. It wasn't just romantic love that failed him, but all its shapes and forms.

"It's okay," Chanyeol says. Coming from someone who was so cruelly dumped, Baekhyun believes it. But there's nothing more he  _ can _ say.

Slowly, Chanyeol places his hand on top of Baekhyun's, intertwining their fingers. His palm is soft and warm, the kind of warmth that travels your body and heats your heart. Finally, Baekhyun looks back at him to find Chanyeol gazing sweetly at him. They are close enough for the siren to feel the human's heartbeat echoing his own. Softly, Baekhyun closes his eyes. Chanyeol leans in so carefully, like Baekhyun is something precious he is scared to touch.

" _ Chanyeol _ ?" A woman's voice calls.

Both of them jump on their seats, Baek's pulse on overdrive now. They turn to the woman, finding Hyera, iced tea in hand. Her worried eyes travel from her ex's face to Baekhyun's, and at last to their hands - still glued together - before they fill with tears.

"Hyera?" 

Not waiting for an explanation she already knows, Hyera turns on her heels and runs off, dropping the drink on the pavement.

"Hyera, wait!" Chanyeol stands up, letting go of Baek's hand. "Shit!"

Funny how one can go so fast from blissfulness to numbness. 

"Go," Baekhyun says. 

Chanyeol looks at him as if he's insane. "What?"

It's a wonder Baek's voice doesn't fail him. "You can still catch up to her and explain."

"R-right, I'll… I need to talk with her." Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun one last time, his next word barely a whisper. "Sorry."

Then he runs off in the night.


	4. Chapter 4

"Baekhyun," Jongin begins with a heavy voice. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Baekhyun stops a spoonful of cereal halfway to his mouth. "Why would I not be okay?"

Uncomfortably, Jongin shifts his weight from one foot to the other. "I don't know. This is your third bowl of cheerios, and you were spending so much time with Chanyeol and then his ex showed up."

"That was kind of the plan Jongin." The answer comes out too protective to not be suspicious. "I was literally helping him get her back. This isn't a pity  _ Cheerios _ , it's a celebratory  _ Cheerios _ ."

He leaves out the fact that he'd rather be eating ice-cream, but given the last time he saw Chanyeol, ice-cream makes him want to cry. Damn Hyera, ruining his comfort food.

Since that fateful 'date' a couple of days ago, Baekhyun has been ignoring all of the taller's texts and using his power as Jongin's best friend to ditch work entirely. He'll be damned if he has to hear Chanyeol apologize again.

Ugh, the thought of it is enough to make his stomach turn. Or maybe it's the three bowls of cereal rebelling. He doesn't care, it's all the same to him.

"Mhmm… Then why are you wearing his hoodie?" 

Baekhyun commits the rookie mistake of looking down at his clothes and, seizing his opportunity, Jongin skillfully snatches the bowl away. They run around the table screaming like teenagers until Baekhyun snaps.

"Fine! I'll admit! I'm pathetic." He sits back down, catching his breath. "Can I eat now?"

Raising his eyebrows, Jongin puts the bowl safely back on the table. For a blissful moment, Baek thinks his roommate will have enough sense to let him wallow in misery on his own, but then Jongin takes a seat next to him.

"Come with me to open mic night, it'll be fun."

"It's never fun," Baekhyun notes with a spoonful of cereal.

"Last I checked, I'm still your boss Baek. So if you're not coming for the fun, you're coming because we're understaffed."

"Liar!"

That being said, Jongin gets up to find his keys, smiling softly when small footsteps follow him. 

Some time outside will do him good.

♩ ♪ ♫

The Open Mic Night brings out the weirdest kind of clientele. Usually, the place has lots of couples and families, and the worst thing Baekhyun has to worry about during his shifts is mixing up some narcissist's order and having to hear them complain about it for ten minutes straight. 

Open Mic Night is a whole other bag of worms. Every entry comes with friends or extended family members that don't usually come to the coffee shop unless forced. There are wannabe singers, comedians, magicians, poets, and so on. Anything that can be done on their small, improvised stage is fair game. Honestly, the place is too small for so many people, they have to be breaking some law.

Besides the extra work they have to do to set things up, Baekhyun still has to worry about people that sign up only to have a nervous breakdown or throw up before they get on the stage.

Still, Jongin wasn't completely misguided in his plan to get the siren out of the house. Baekhyun has to admit it  _ is _ quite fun to watch amateur performances. If he wasn't working at the place, he wouldn't mind coming to watch every now and then. The issue, however, is that he's just not feeling it tonight. The white bench they keep outside keeps taunting him with the memory of Chanyeol not kissing him – especially when nightfalls – and he's half tempted to throw the lemon-flavored ice-cream away, certain that it brings bad luck.

He's staring the dessert down viciously when the bell chimes, letting him know yet another customer has arrived. A very tall, and somewhat sad-looking customer.

_ Nope, not today. _ Baekhyun simply isn't ready to hear all about Chanyeol and Hyera's happy relationship. He turns around with his tail in his back and runs to the back where no sane customer has ever ventured before. The taller calls after him, but he just keeps going.

Mildly panicking, Baekhyun grabs onto Jongin. "Chanyeol is here." 

"And when isn't he here?" he retorts, raising an eyebrow. "Look, if you're going to be weird about it, do it outside. I don't want anything ruining the show."

Like the diligent worker he never cared to be, Baekhyun takes a broom and rushes out of the café. In-between swipes, he glances inside to find the customers thoroughly entertained by a magic show. All but Chanyeol, sitting alone at an empty table and fumbling miserably with his phone. 

Poor thing… Baekhyun swallows the urge to serve him free cake, hands tightening on the broom.

Two well-dressed girls pass him by on the sidewalk and stop, leaning closer to the glass.

"Gosh, he's really here. These things are so lame," One of them complains, face almost glued to the glass. Baekhyun looks her way to find Hyera, talking with a friend. "If Chanyeol wasn't here all the time I wouldn't be caught dead in this place."

"So we came to meet your ex? I thought he turned you down the other night. "

Baekhyun freezes. He what? That's not possible, what was the point of ditching Baekhyun and running after her if he was going to turn her down?

Hyera nods, a sarcastic smile molding her lips. "Yup. He's playing hard to get, but I can totally see through it." After a quick look around to make sure Chanyeol is still at the table, she leans closer to her friend. "You know, he's a total bore, but at least he does whatever I say."

Her friend covers a smile. "You're terrible!"

Unaware of Baek's eavesdropping, the girls giggle away, planning to take a table near Chanyeol. 

_ She didn't even recognize me. _

Baekhyun's blood boils as he watches them go, his emotions a whirlwind inside him. Anger at that stupid girl, sadness that Chanyeol has been taken advantage of, jealousy that Yeol even liked her in the first place. All these emotions are too much, drowning him like water never could. His ears are still ringing when the magician is done with his act and the claps start. 

Without any plan in mind, Baekhyun's feet start to move towards the mic. The next entry is ready to go - it's a man holding a guitar. He gives the audience a shy smile, introducing himself when the microphone is snatched from his hand.

And before people can fully grasp what is going on, Baekhyun starts to sing. 

The loud chatter of the audience dies down. 

Nothing compares to Baekhyun's voice as he sings about love. The bittersweet kind of love that leaves you heartbroken, yet glad the other person is happy to leave you. A surge of power reaches his voice, coursing through his veins. A distraught sob comes from a nearby table and, behind him, there's a loud  _ thump _ as the man drops his guitar. The magic is captivating them one by one, Baekhyun can feel it with every note. He raises his voice, ready to reach his peak.

With a loud screech, the microphone dies, ceasing his impromptu melody. For a disorienting moment, Baekhyun can't figure out the issue, still high from the rush. No one dares to mutter a word just like Baekhyun doesn't dare to look at Chanyeol's direction. The siren's attention travels all the way from the crowd to the power plug and finds Jongin staring back at him, a cable in one hand and fire in his eyes.

Baekhyun has only a second to comprehend how much he fucked up before all hell breaks loose.

"Who are you? Tell me your name!" A middle-aged woman screeches, jumping from her seat. That triggers something in the stunned crowd as, one by one, they run towards him.

"Are you single? I know this is sudden but I-"

"Can I get you anything?"

"That was breathtaking!"

"Are you thirsty? You can have my drink!"

"No, he wants  _ my _ drink!"

There is too much going on. Too many hands reaching for him, too many people demanding his attention. Some stunned clients remain put, confused by what's going on, but the immune people are in the minority. Baekhyun takes a step back, only to trip on the fallen guitar. He falls on his back wincing in pain, finding the man who was behind him is now on the floor too - sobbing uncontrollably. 

"Everyone, I need you to go back to your seats!" Jongin's voice is both a thunderstorm and his salvation. "Baek, go to the back and lock the door!"

Right, the changing room! Their kitchen doesn't have a lock, but the changing room does. Baekhyun crawls away from his admirers just enough so he has enough space to get up and sprint to the back. He's almost at the counter when another hand manages to catch his arm.

"Wait, don't go!" Hyera begs, eyes glassy with adoration. "I love you!"

She never loved Chanyeol. She barely even cares for him. That was all Baekhyun wanted to check, what he wanted to reveal to the world before the sweetest man he ever met fell for her trap again. Yet the feeling creeping up on him is far from victorious.

Someone else calls desperately for him, a lower, more urgent voice that snaps him out of it.  _ No, not now _ . He can't bear to face Chanyeol after causing this havoc. But he also can't move, like a trapped cat, he can only watch wide-eyed as his favorite human makes his way to him.

Freeing himself from Hyera, Baekhyun takes Chanyeol's hand and beelines to the door, locking it behind them.

Gasping for air, they listen to the ruckus outside.

Jongin is twice braver than Baekhyun could ever dream to be. He wouldn't try to control an ensorcelled crowd, not even if he could. And if his friend's loud pleas are anything to go by, the man is set on making those humans behave without resourcing to singing. Chanyeol is the first to break the silence with a nervous giggle.

"This isn't funny," Baekhyun complains.

"It kind of is," the human insists. "Jongin is going to kill you." 

In spite of himself, Baekhyun starts laughing too. He laughs heartily, not just because of the absurdity of the circumstances, but because Chanyeol's happiness is his happiness too. If he had his way, Yeol would be able to smile at every minute and every second of the day. That moment passes by so fast, soon they're not laughing anymore, and Chanyeol asks him the dreaded question.

"What made you do that?"

Baekhyun paces himself, turning around to walk further inside the room. Anxiously, his hands mess with his hair. He can barely hear Chanyeol following him, or how the taller keeps calling his name.

"Hey, it's okay," Chanyeol takes him by the wrist, forcing the siren to stop pacing and look at him. "You can talk to me. What happened?"

"I- I just..." 

Knowing what to say is always easier than coming up with the right words to say it. Baekhyun can barely breathe, barely think with Chanyeol looking so sweetly at him. He hates to be the bearer of bad news. With a deep, calming breath, the siren finally gathers enough courage to say it.

Some things may be painful, but that doesn't make them any less true.

"Yeol, Hyera doesn't love you." As soon as the words are out, Baekhyun waits for a reaction. Anything. Something he can work with to lessen Chanyeol's heartbreak.

But all Chanyeol gives him is a half-laugh. The kind that comes out when you're too surprised to understand what's going on.

"I'm sorry," Baekhyun presses on. "I wanted to test her and she, well, she fell for my song. You can't go back to her. I'm so sorry."

"God, you're driving me insane." Laughing again, this time with real amusement, Chanyeol lets go of Baekhyun's wrist, but keeps the smaller within his reach. "You wanted to test  _ her _ ? I couldn't care less about how she feels about me!"

"But you do care. You love her."

Chanyeol shakes his head profusely, grabbing the siren by the shoulders almost as if he wants to shake some sense into him. Not once does his eyes stray from his. "If you could see how perfect you were out there, Baek, you would never worry about me falling for Hyera ever again."

The human's words are so simple, yet so foreign for Baekhyun to understand. Chanyeol would rather choose him than her? That's impossible…

"But that night..."

Softly, Chanyeol grabs his hand, eyes filled with regret. "I'm horrible, I know." He shuts his eyes recalling that moment. "I  _ didn't _ want Hyera back, and even so I kept leading her on with those texts. I needed to make things clear. It was the worst timing possible, but I thought you understood what was happening when you told me to go after her."

Baekhyun's legs might as well have turned into mush. The siren's mind goes blank, almost as if on overdrive. Chanyeol steps closer – too close – a frown forming on his handsome face.

"Is that why your song was so sad? You thought I was still in love with her? Gosh, Baekhyun, that song was so beautiful..." Chanyeol's dark eyes stare at him deeply, lovingly, like he is ready to do anything to make him happy.

And then it hits Baekhyun. It hits him like no realization has ever struck before. 

If Chanyeol doesn't love Hyera anymore, then he can be enchanted. 

_ No. No. No!  _ This can't be happening, Chanyeol's under his spell too! Just like everyone else out there. It's clear as day. So painfully obvious, Baekhyun feels like a bigger fool for swooning over his words. The human's eyes are shining like the siren is made of gold, and his words are too perfect to be true. 

Chanyeol winces as Baekhyun pushes him back and moves away from him. If the room wasn't so small Baekhyun would've put an even bigger distance between them. 

"You're enchanted," he says somberly to the hurt human.

"I'm not!" Chanyeol insists, trying to move closer to the smaller, but being kept at arm's length. "Baekhyun, please, I promise you I'm not."

"How can you tell?" Baekhyun demands angrily, even if it breaks his heart to do it. For a revealing moment, Chanyeol doesn't respond. "You can't, can you?!" Baek's voice trembles, but his eyes are confident, leaving no room for doubt as he stares the human down. "You're not on your right mind right now, and I need you to leave."

Hands turned into fists on his sides, Chanyeol nods and turns away. He takes one step, two, then spins back faster than Baekhyun can understand what's happening and gives the siren a small peck on the lips.

"I'll be back in a week. Then you'll have to believe me when I say my feelings haven't changed." he promises.

Right now, with all his heart, Baekhyun can't believe him.

  
  


♩ ♪ ♫

Later, when Jongin managed to calm down the crazed humans and locked the place up, he walked to the back to find Baekhyun inconsolable, crying his heart out on the floor. The only other time he has seen Baekhyun cry was when he was left stranded, abandoned by both his family and human lover. Sighing, Jongin crouches next to his friend and pats him on the head.

"I was going to scream at you," he concedes, not sure Baek is even hearing him when he's clearly so lost in his own heartbreak. "but I think we can leave that to some other day.

♩ ♪ ♫

It's funny how the world is always ready to turn tables on you. Now Baekhyun is the one who wishes he could leave the house while Jongin insists he has to stay.

"There were too many humans in there. We need to wait until all of them are sane of mind before you make a public appearance. Do you know how many fights I had to break?"

And then he'd go on and on about that night and everything Baekhyun lost while he was locked in that tiny room breaking his own heart. He just wishes he could meet Chanyeol again and make sure the spell is dissipating. Baekhyun needs to apologize, make amends before it's too late and Chanyeol decides enough is enough and leaves for good. 

Is this how the targets of his pranks felt when he succeeded in breaking them up? Did the almost-fiancés from the pier get back home to misery and loneliness? Because if they did, then Baekhyun probably deserves every drop of the anxiety that's washing over him.

The worst twist of all – the one that weights in his heart and makes his eyes prickle with tears – is that now Chanyeol is the one refusing to read his messages.

And there are a lot of them.

The old ones are also still there, the messages he refused to read when he was the one ignoring the human. They're taunting him with the foreshadowing he so willingly ignored. 

_ baek, did you get home safe? _

_ sorry for leaving you there _

_ i needed to apologize to Hyera for leading her on _

_ hey, baek _

_ are you mad at me? _

This pattern of texts continues for a while, and if only Baekhyun had read them before, he would know better than to sing in front of Chanyeol. Would've known that he fell out of love and, therefore, could be enchanted.

For days, Baekhyun sends his own lot of humiliating messages, ranging from  _ I'm sorry _ to  _ I hope we can still be friends. _

That's all he hopes for at this point honestly. 

Staring at his phone, an emptiness creeps inside of him.  _ I miss you, _ he types out, thumb floating over the  _ send _ button when the blue checkmark appears. Baekhyun jumps off his bed so fast he gets a little dizzy.

_ Chanyeol is typing… _

The increasingly cold feeling in his tummy gains a life of his own as he waits for the message.

_ Chanyeol is typing… _

_ Chanyeol is typing… _

_ Chanyeol is typing… _

_ How long does a person need to type?  _ This is torture. Chanyeol's torturing him for fun, that has to be it. 

But no new message comes his way.

  
  
  


At last, the waiting period of one week comes to an end, and still nothing comes. 

So that was it. Those feelings Chanyeol tried so hard to defend were just a result of Baekhyun's song. He's not coming back to find him. Baekhyun's expectations were low, but sometimes, late at night when he was ready to sleep and had only his thoughts to accompany him, the lonely siren did dare to dream he would.

  
  


With puffy eyes and a snotty nose, Baekhyun is in the process of eating every sweet food they have in the house when Jongin comes back from work and finds him. To no avail, Baekhyun tries to hide the half-eaten pudding he so shamelessly stole from his roommate behind his back.

"Okay, this is just sad," says Jongin, resting a hand on his hip and wondering how he ever got himself such a wreck of a friend.

"The pudding was already like this when I found it." It was supposed to be a joke, but the smile doesn't reach Baek's eyes. 

Jongin walks closer to his mess of a roommate. "You know what, I forgot my wallet at the café," he dangles the keys in front of Baek's nose. "Go get it for me, I'm tired and you ate my pudding."

♩ ♪ ♫

_ Oh, he forgot the lights on. _ Baekhyun notices as he approaches his workplace.  _ That's weird, Jongin isn't usually like that.  _

Shock takes him over when he takes a look inside. With his breath caught in his throat he slowly opens the door. "Chanyeol?"

The place is filled with candles, tables pushed aside with the exception of one in the middle, the one where Chanyeol is at. Above it, there's a chocolate milkshake complete with a pink, heart-shaped straw, the type that couples use to drink something together. Hearing Baekhyun's hesitant voice, Chanyeol looks up, his whole face lighting up when their eyes meet. 

"Hey," he starts, at ease now that the smaller is here, but Baekhyun's anxiety is a storm he can't run from.

"You're here," His words come out choked, all the pent up misery ready to flood out of him at once. He enters the café, closing the door behind him and letting his body fall back against it.

"Baekhyun, look at me," Chanyeol's voice is soothing like the sea.

Painfully aware of the mess he must be right now, the siren shakes his head, eyes trained on the ground. One look at his gross crying face will make Chanyeol disgusted too, Baek just knows it. He hears the chair scratching the floor, and the heaviness of the taller's steps as he walks towards him.

"Hey," Chanyeol tries again, cupping Baekhyun's wet cheeks and gently tilting his head up ever so slightly. "It's okay, it's just me."

Baekhyun's sobbing doesn't slow down. Shameful tears stream down his face, making his eyes shine with sadness.

"I'm s-sorry," he cries. Baekhyun is sorry for so many things, he doesn't even know what he's apologizing for. He's sorry for being a mess, that Chanyeol had to witness this, sorry for ignoring him for days after their fake-date. Above all else, he's sorry for trying to enchant Chanyeol when he was vulnerable that day at the pier.

"I didn't mean to enchant you, I swear. I'll never sing again, I-"  The sobbing becomes too much, stopping him from saying what he means "Sorry, I'm sorry." he repeats uselessly while Chanyeol shushes him. He fists Chanyeol's jacket, looking at him properly for the first time since he arrived. "Chany-yeol, I'm so-"

Chanyeol's face inches closer, sealing their lips in a delicate, calming kiss. Surprised, Baekhyun forgets how to breathe. Chanyeol's kiss is soft, like the siren might break at any moment, and perhaps he could tonight but it wouldn't matter. To break under Chanyeol's touch is the sweetest fate Baekhyun can imagine.

The moment doesn't last, only enough for the siren to miss the warmth of those lips on his once they're gone, to feel the lingering sensation overwhelm him. Baekhyun whimpers again, this time not for sadness but for the loss, and he follows those lips, tiptoeing and wrapping his arms around the taller's neck to pull him back passionately.

All of Baekhyun's sorrow is forgotten by his melting heart. There's a crack within him, a wound that is finally mended by Chanyeol's hands on his hips and the way he smiles when Baekhyun backs off for air.

"You're not crying anymore," he says, laughing as a flustered Baekhyun hits his shoulder and hides on his chest. 

"Shut up."

Chanyeol's scent is so nice, so like him. Baekhyun nuzzles on Chanyeol, heart beating so loudly there's no way the human can't feel it against his chest.

"We have a problem," Chanyeol muses, and Baekhyun freezes.

"We do?"

"Well, if you keep hiding your face, how am I supposed to kiss you again?"

"You're not. You might still be enchanted," Baekhyun points out, sulking.

"It's been a week, you said it yourself that the effect of a siren's song only lasts a few days."

That's true… but…

Feeling his hesitation, Chanyeol presses on.

"Remember when you asked me how I knew I was in my right mind? Listen, I admit that I wasn't sure at the time. I'm still getting used to magic and sirens being real." Baekhyun drops his head, but Chanyeol props it up by the chin. "But then I realized that the magic doesn't matter Baekhyun. I was already smitten with you way before that night. That's why your song didn't work."

Adorably, Baekhyun simply stares at him with surprised eyes and red cheeks. "That can't be true."

"It is," he laughs, thumb caressing Baekhyun's cheek right where a fat tear was trailing down. "That plan to get Hyera back? I literally never cared for it. I knew it was over between us and there was no point to try again. All the times I asked you to hang out, I just wanted to go on dates with the beautiful, funny man that kept popping in my head ever since we met."

"No," Baekhyun shakes his head stubbornly. He wants to believe him, how could he not? All those words are so perfect. But he is unlovable, the extreme opposite of someone so charming as the man standing in front of him. Baekhyun is the one that people throw away, the one no one misses when he leaves the room. 

At any moment now, the rug will be pulled right from under his feet, and Baekhyun has been let down so much he knows it'll hurt less if he's the one shutting this down before his heart breaks even further. "My song, it's because o-of the song. You're-"

"Baekhyun, get something in that thick head of yours," Chanyeol whispers fondly, touching their foreheads together. "I'm not under a spell, I'm simply in love with you."

And that's all the confirmation Baekhyun needs to kiss him again.

♩ ♪ ♫

The setting sun paints a perfect picture for love-birds. Outside the Café, two girls give each other smitten looks, yet don't know how to proceed. Little do they know that a siren is watching them closely.

"I'm..." one of them begins, quickly changing her mind. "Never mind." 

The other is about to ask what's going on when a seagull lands on their table. They almost scream, but stay put when the animal offers them something in its beak.

"It's a rose," she muses, accepting the flower.

Puzzled, they stare at each other as the bird, then the laughing starts. They gaze at one another as she offers her sweetheart the flower.

"Someone's in a good mood," Chanyeol teases, pinching Baek's cheek.

"They were taking too long!" Baekhyun protests, filled with joy for the new-formed couple.

Still, there's something else he needs to focus on today. Something way more important: Baekhyun is going to leave his job.

After he and Chanyeol started dating, he became more and more enamored with his boyfriend's job and how he takes care of sea-life. Participating in such a noble cause would bring him so much joy it'd inspire him to do his job properly. Not to mention, who was he kidding, he was never a good waiter anyway. His cappuccinos were watery at best, and he gave away too much free food. That's what he is thinking when he goes to his boss, apron in hand.

"Jongin, I want to work as an animal rescuer," Baekhyun says, careful but decided. "Will you manage the place without me?"

"Yes!" Jongin is so happy he could cry. "I can hire someone else. Anyone! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Outside the café, Baekhyun sulks, hiding in Chanyeol's arms.

"He didn't have to look so happy."

Chanyeol pats his head knowingly, "Think on the bright side, now we can come in as customers and he'll have to serve you every time. Oh, wait. From now on, I'll have to pay for food, won't I?" 

Baekhyun's laugh tickles his chest. Really, the giant always knows what to say. He looks up, stars in his eyes. "I love you, idiot." And tiptoes to give him a peck on the lips.

  
  


And these days, if Baekhyun only seems to get involved with couples when it's to help them, well, what can he say? 

Everyone should be as happy as he feels.

♩ ♪ ♫

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed it! Have a happy fest! ♥♥♥


End file.
